Pittsburgh women have recently dominated national television airwaves. On May 13, Pittsburgh comedian Missy Moreno appeared on the Kelly Clarkson Show and, while performing a bit, accomplished three things: saying “yinz”, shouting out Century Three Mall, and crowning Mindhunter actor Jonathan Groff as an Honorary “Pixburgher.” On that same night, Arcade Comedy Theater executive director and Bracket Night Host, Katie Tarara, answered some complicated trivia, in the form of a question, on Jeopardy.
The streak continues when, for the first time in LEGO Masters history, Pittsburgh has a team to represent the Steel City brick by brick.
Let’s rewind to the summer of 2023, when Krista Kay and Marcella Spear, two Pittsburgh Adult Fans of LEGO (AFOL) members, auditioned for the FOX TV reality competition show. At this point, Kay and Spear had been active members of the Steel City LUG (LEGO User Group) for several years. The group meets quarterly for collaborative builds, public displays, teaching classes to kids, or just getting together to geek out.
The women found a passion for LEGO at different stages in their lives. While the world was collectively experiencing a pandemic, leading to people picking up new hobbies and skills, Spear got into LEGO building. Spear, who works for a travel management company and discusses pop culture on her YouTube channel, was more into Lincoln Logs as a child.
“I did not have LEGO as a kid,” Spear tells Pittsburgh City Paper. “It wasn’t until I was already an adult and had discretionary money. I fell in love with building and creating through my first little micro Millennium Falcon that I bought. You just don’t kind of step into the hobby. You fall into it full force.”
Kay has her parents to thank for reigniting her childhood LEGO love.
“My parents had this huge bucket of LEGO that turned into a small collection. And I played with that till I was about 12 when I discovered boys,” Kay, an adjunct faculty member at Community College of Allegheny County, tells City Paper.
After getting married and having a child, Kay got the call most adults get from their parents. “Hey, we’re cleaning out the attic. Come get your stuff, or we’re throwing it away,” Kay recalls. When Kay went to salvage her childhood memories, she found an old LEGO set that her grandfather had bought for her. That was enough to get her back in the game.
Their connection blossomed after Kay and Spear met at the Steel City LUG. There, they bonded over building and supported each other in their LEGO endeavors, leading them to apply for LEGO Masters together. When the two LEGO enthusiasts received news that they were chosen to compete on the series’ fifth season, they could hardly believe it, comparing it to Charlie Bucket finding the Golden Ticket in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
The two women flew to Atlanta, Ga., in October 2023 to film their episode, which airs Mon., May 19, at 8 p.m., on FOX, and streams Tue., May 20, on Hulu.
Hosted by actor Will Arnett, LEGO Masters will once again feature teams of LEGO enthusiasts going head-to-head, with infinite possibilities and an unlimited supply of LEGO bricks, known as the “Brick Pit.” In each episode, Arnett and expert Brickmasters/LEGO employees, Amy Corbett and Jamie Berard, challenge and encourage builders to put their creativity and skills to the test.
Even though participating in Steel City LUG has given Kay and Spear experience in completing challenging and imaginative builds, they are playing in a much bigger arena this time. “So when our LUG does quarterly challenges, there’s a lot of time to plan and think about that, but they’re pretty standard challenges,” Kay says, adding that what LEGO Masters presented were “definitely not your everyday challenges, and really forced you to think very differently.”
The latest LEGO Masters season opens with a Star Wars-themed episode titled “Rebuild the Galaxy,” where teams are challenged to rebuild the galaxy one brick at a time by transforming the remnants of a destroyed planet into a new creation. Star Wars characters, including Stormtroopers and Darth Vader, even make a surprise appearance.
As a self-proclaimed Star Wars nerd, Spear couldn’t have been happier to start the season in a galaxy far, far away. “The joy of that door opening up on our first challenge and seeing Star Wars, I almost passed out,” Spear said.
The duo found everyone from the host to the other contestants extremely welcoming. “[Will Arnett] definitely helps keep things light because, you know, it can be very intense,” Kay says. “He really finds ways to lighten the mood and remember we’re doing something fun. We’re going on a show to build with LEGO!”
Despite the competition element, which offers a $100,000 cash prize, the ultimate LEGO trophy, and the grand title of LEGO Masters to the winner, Kay and Spear say they made lasting friendships with their rivals. “You’re just surrounded by these people who are the most genuine,” Spear said.” You’re spending all day in the build room. You’re spending all night together. It’s your family immediately.”
Spear admits her time on LEGO Masters was an emotional experience, especially as a Black woman. “I cry on national television. I’m going to spoil that right now because it happens more than once, ” she says, adding, “For people with our skin tones, we don’t get these opportunities often. So the first time I tried to talk about it, I started to cry. And that’s what happens because it’s a big, big weight and a big responsibility.”
This article appears in May 14-20, 2025.
